


A Second Miracle

by Featherine_Aurora



Category: Higurashi Gou - Fandom, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry
Genre: Communication, Epic Friendship, F/F, Gen, Higurashi Gou episode 20 spoilers, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou, What-If, talking things out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29735595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherine_Aurora/pseuds/Featherine_Aurora
Summary: What if Rika and Satoko were able to talk out their increasing problems, with the help of their friends?
Relationships: Furude Rika & Sonozaki Mion, Furude Rika/Houjou Satoko, Houjou Satoko & Sonozaki Mion
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21





	A Second Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> Just something set during Higurashi Gou as an effort to try and explore/create a happier outcome for Rika and Satoko. I've never written these two, so I hope I've not screwed up their characters in my effort to handle this.

“What do you want?".

Rika was hurt by the hostile tone in Satoko’s voice. But she understood why it was there. That was why she'd decided to stay with Satoko when she'd insisted in staying in Hinamizawa for a while longer. She had wanted to talk with Satoko for a while now. Rika had not got around to that though, a proper talk with Satoko on their own where they could lay everything out. Rika had realized this was a mistake on her part, but seeing how happy Satoko was with the club and just by being in Hinamizawa had given Rika a realization.

_I didn't realize how badly Lucia was affecting Satoko until I saw her be truly happy again._

Satoko didn't seem to be happy with Rika's hovering presence and that had resulted in her taking the first step. _Since when did I become such a coward?_

At least Rika could be grateful that Satoko had got the ball rolling, even if it should have been her that fulfilled that responsibility.

“I want to talk”.

Satoko's gaze hardened. "Do you now? Took you long enough, Rika".

Rika was struck by the harshness of those words, but she steadied her nerves and continued. “Yes, that's right. I've taken far too long to do this and I'm sorry".

Satoko smiled awkwardly. "You don't need to talk to me like that. I didn't mean to lash out just now, really".

Rika felt her stomach churn. Yes, Satoko hadn't meant to lash out at her. That was true, Rika felt. But she also felt like she deserved it and that it was more truthful than Satoko's friendliness. "I had been hoping that you were just having troubles adjusting to St Lucia. But it’s more than that, isn’t it?".

There was something Rika needed to face. She took a deep breath and then asked _the_ question, the one that involved entertaining an idea she'd not wanted to touch at all.

“You don’t want to be there at all, do you? Maybe you even hate St Lucia".

Rika had finally voiced that idea out loud, that maybe Satoko didn't want to be part of Rika's happiness, that her dream that she had yearned for might be incompatible with having the person she loved in her life.

Satoko was silent for a minute. Then she said “Do you really want to be there, Rika?".

“I do".

Satoko gave her a contemptuous look, as though she’d just lied. So Rika added “I love St Lucia. I don't know how to explain it, but I've yearned for a place like that for a very long time. I've wanted it for most of my life".

“Why? I don’t understand how you could like a place like this".

“Satoko, so you think I’d pour the amount of effort I did into getting here if I didn't really want it that much?".

“I poured the same amount of effort as you did, and I never wanted to be there”.

Rika winced at the bitterness leaking through Satoko's voice. “Did I... drag you there through our connection?".

She said that in a panicked tone. Rika didn't like how this felt, even as she pushed herself to resist the urge to run away from this uncomfortable truth. Still, Satoko's fiery response still made her jump.

“Yes, you did! I only went to that sparkly stuck up hellhole because you wanted to be in it".

“If you hate it that much, maybe you should leave”. Rika didn't like what she was proposing, but she felt that it needed to be said. “That place is destroying you and, believe it or not, I don’t want that to happen to you. I still love you, Satoko”.

“But if I left, you wouldn’t leave with me, right? Choosing to leave St Lucia would mean I'd be alone again, without you. Right?".

Rika couldn't reply. She couldn’t deny the truth of Satoko's words.

“Thought so. After doing everything to stay with you, do you think that I can just leave this place without you?".

“What other option is there?”

“You could leave with me! You could come back to Hinamizawa and we could be happy again. We could actually be together again".

“So you want me to destroy my dream? I’m really happy at St Lucia, Satoko. It really is a dream come true for me”. When Satoko gave her another disbelieving look, Rika frustratedly said “What do I need to do to convince you that I’m being genuine? Is there anything or are you going to reject my feelings no matter what".

“You can’t really like a place like that ”. Satoko glared at the floor. “It’s impossible”. She paused for a moment, then desperately declared "Of course you're lying! You're using that mature way of speaking that you keep using around the stuck up girls at Lucia. You're just putting up an act!".

Rika blinked. She'd slipped up and shifted to her natural way of speaking without noticing. Normally, she'd shift back to being the cute Rika that people loved in Hinamizawa. That softened her slip ups and allowed the people around her to dismiss Rika acting odd as just a thing of their imagination or something like this. But Rika decided to answer honestly, partly out of her own frustration and partly because she wanted to make something clear to Satoko, for her sake. 

"That's how I've spoken when I've been on my own for ages. I just avoided speaking like that in front of others because then people would think I was creepy. Then they might hate me and I don't want that. I don't want the people I treasure to ever think I'm creepy or to... hate me".

Satoko's eyes widened. "Rika... We'd never hate you. I'd never hate you"

"Are you sure about that?".

Satoko opened her mouth to respond, but she seemed unable to voice a response. She looked like she was probably feeling how Rika had when Satoko had pointed out that she had no intention of going with Satoko if she left Lucia. Rika felt a bit satisfied, but also was disgusted with herself. How could she inflict that mix of pain and guilt upon someone she loved?

"Satoko, I've endured enough, haven't I? I had part of the defence force try to kill me. We might have defeated that fate, but it still haunts me when I'm in this town. There are so many places where I can't help but think of how I died... could have died there. How you or Mion or Shion or Keiichi or Rena could have died. Hinamizawa scares me, Satoko. I know you love this town, but I couldn't endure this place on my own. I needed to escape it. I needed to find a place where I could be myself. St Lucia is that place, Satoko. It's the place where this me isn't creepy or strange, but the Rika people love".

Satoko had a mix of fear and concern on her face. Rika noticed her gulp, then she said "It might sound rude of me, but I think I understand how you feel about Hinamizawa. That is how St Lucia feels to me, but I don't have anyone with me".

Rika wanted to say that she was there, but they were at this point because she wasn't able to be there enough for Satoko.

"It sounds like that shitty place... Lucia is to you what Hinamizawa, or our club to narrow it down, was to me. I've never felt more able to be myself, more like I was loved for being me, than when I was here with you and the others".

Rika felt her eyes tear up. "I know. Or I know now at least".

"What can we do, Rika?".

"I don't know".

Satoko sniffled, her eyes watery. "You're the smart, refined one. 

"I'm not that smart. You're cleverer than me. I'd never be able to think of the ingenious traps you do".

A frown formed on Satoko's face. "You told the staff at Lucia about my traps and got me locked up".

"I didn't do that".

"Then how did they know?".

"I...might have bragged about your trap skills to the other girls after our public fight. I wanted everyone to treat you with more respect, so I tried to use that to get people to acknowledge your worth and talent". Rika felt her cheeks warm up. "Saying it out loud to you, it sounds stupid". 

For a moment, they were frozen in silence. Then Satoko started laughing. As she laughed, Satoko managed to say "You told our dull ladylike classmates about my traps for that? Hahahaha! Wow!".

Rika didn't like being laughed at much. After feeling like reality itself was mocking her for years, it could be hard to separate light hearted mockery and malice. But having made Satoko sound so happy made Rika feel like a weight that had been crushing her from the start of this conversation had been pulled from her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for what it might have caused, Satoko".

"Ha... I never thought you could be that... hahahaha... stupid".

"You're the smart one, Satoko".

"After this conversation, I don't think either of us deserve to be called smart, Rika".

"That's right".

Rika and Satoko spun around to face the source of that sudden addition to their conversation, the sound of Mion Sonozaki's voice. Sure enough, she was there, moving closer to them. When she stopped, Rika noted that Mion's face had a mix of shock and disappointment on it that made her want to avoid Mion's eyes.

"I thought you two were acting strange. Fortunately, I decided to find you and this old man overheard everything”. Mion said that cheerily, but then switched to a much more serious tone as she added "What the hell is up with you two? What on earth happened with you. Don't answer now. I'm taking you two with me. Keiichi, Rena and I need to give you two a serious talk. That's an order from your club leader".

I feel so ashamed. To live a hundred years and then get subjected to this.

Rika let out a depressed "Mii" while Satoko gave a flat, hollow "Ohohoho", like she was trying to bolster her own moral with a laugh and had her efforts crash and burn.

"No Miis or Ohohohs or other attempts at changing the mood through forced gestures from you two, especially you Rika".

She'd heard Rika talk about how she forced herself to act differently for the sake of her friends. _Shit. This is really bad_.

Satoko gave a resigned "Yes, Mion", while Rika could only nod as she was freaking out in her head. Mion then set off, glancing behind her once to make sure that Rika and Satoko were following her. They were. There was no chance that Rika could muster the nerve to defy Mion at this moment.


End file.
